India is a modern civilization of nuclear capability that continues to nurture its roots that go back to a time before the written record of history. In the words of Linda Johnson, “if you had been around in the third millennium B.C.E, India is where you would have wanted to be. The quality of life was higher there than practically anywhere else in the world. In fact, the towns of North India in 2600 B.C.E. were more comfortable and technologically advanced than most European cities till nearly the time of the Renaissance!”

India’s knowledge, springing from pre Vedic times, followed an oral tradition of documentation and research. Many of these streams of research were documented in the Vedas. The search for information was nurtured through observational research and guarded fiercely. Vedic scholar Jean Le Mee aptly stated, “Precious or durable materials – gold silver marble onyx or granite- have been used by most ancient peoples in an attempt to immortalize their achievements. Not so, however, with the ancient Aryans. They turned what may seem as the most volatile and insubstantial material of all- the spoken word- an out of this bubble of air fashioned a monument which more than thirty, perhaps forty centuries later stands untouched by time or the elements.

For the pyramids have been eroded by the desert wind, the marble broken by earthquakes, and the gold stolen by robbers, while the Veda remains recited daily by an unbroken chain of generations, traveling like a great wave through the living substance of the mind.”

One asks, what is this Great knowledge that these Indian Scholars sought, guarded and prioritized as their ancestral heritage. It is the concept of Zero, Geometry, the concept now known to the world by the translator for the Western world, the Pythagoras theorem, astronomy with details such as the color of Mars and the influence of the celestial bodies on our lives, the concept of time, the Age and Evolution of the Universe and the Cosmos, the dissolution of the Universe and the Cosmos, Agriculture, some of the earliest concepts of watershed management and environmental conservation, the art of Politics, warfare and peace, Medicine, physical Education and the body mind spirit connection, self control, the integration of the self with the Universe, philosophy, theology and the concept of God, Magic, genetic breeding and how to avoid inbreeding, the science of Art and the paths to the Ultimate Truth

These have been documented in the various “scriptures”; the Vedas, The Shastras like the Yoga
Shastra, Shilpa Shastra, Artha Shastra and applied Vedas like Ayur Veda, the medical science of Longevity, The Upanishads and the Bhagavat Gita

While these traditions continue to inspire and teach people beyond her boundaries, Modern India forges the way to make space technology cheaper and more accessible to the developing world.

The intersection of genetics and intelligence is an intellectual minefield. (Let's Unravel Intelligence, Times of India, Editorial, The Times of India, Nov 08, 2007)

While one may find the richest man in India, disparities in the country are so wide that it isnt difficult to find the poorest man either. (India In The Billionaire Club: An Increasing Divide , Deccan Herald, Editorial, The Deccan Herald, Nov 08, 2007)

On Wednesday, Police recovered two idols of Lord Buddha, worth about Rs one crore in the international market, and arrested four persons in this connection.
(Buddha Idols Worth 1 Crore Found In Allahabad , Singapore Times, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)

What began as a book on birds at the Indian International Centre (IIC) in New Delhi grew into “Garden Birds of Delhi, Agra and Jaipur”. (A Bird’S-Eye View, Hindu, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)

Human beings alone among the countless living beings are capable of attaining liberation from transmigration. (Aim Of Human Life , Hindu, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)

Half a century ago D. D. Kosambi — whose birth centenary merits celebration at the national level — characterised the great uprising as ‘feudal’ and yet the final verdict on its significance was positive and it was perceived as a glorious struggle. (1857: What Does It Mean To Us?, Hindu, Sabyasachi Bhattacharya, Nov 08, 2007)

Bhutanese refugees living in Nepal are facing "severe intimidation" ever since plans to resettle them in the West were announced, a senior US official says. (Bhutan Refugees Are 'Intimidated' , British Broadcasting Corporation, Correspondent or Reporter, Nov 08, 2007)

This incident happened when I was in Lhasa, in Tibet. (Middle-Aged At 136! , The Economic Times, Paramahamsa Sri Nithyananda, Nov 08, 2007)

Manmohan Singh's decision to make a public spectacle of the problems of running a coalition Government betrays his frustration. It brings him not sympathy but contempt, even from his well-wishers
(Pm In High Dudgeon, Pioneer, Ajoy Bose, Nov 08, 2007)

THE selection for this year’s Nobel Peace Prize has indeed come as a surprise. The Intergovernmental Panel for Climate Change (IPCC), a United Nations body, and Albert Arnold (Al) Gore Jr., the former Vice-President of the United States . . . . (Climate Of Peace, Frontline, R. Ramachandran, Nov 08, 2007)

A complex surgery to separate a headless parasitic conjoined twin attached to the lower body of two-year-old Lakshmi was completed on Wednesday morning at a hospital here, with doctors announcing progress as per plan. (Lakshmi’S First Step Towards Normalcy, Surgery Successful, Indian Express, A N Sudarsan Rao , Nov 08, 2007)

The entire issue of Organiser this week is devoted to different aspects of the Ram Sethu controversy. M.D. Nalapat recalls Ram Rajya: “In the Knowledge Era, it is not geographical space that counts any more, but Thought Space. (Ram Rajya, Indian Express, VARGHESE K. GEORGE, Nov 08, 2007)

It is music to the ears of builders in Uttarakhand, but, many residents are warning that the cacophony of construction could destroy Dehra Dun's peace. (Locals Protest Govt Nod For Highrises In Uttarakhand, Times of India, A N Sudarsan Rao , Nov 08, 2007)

The life and times of two exceptional members of the U.K. police force. (Policemen Nonpareil, Frontline, R.K. Raghavan, Nov 08, 2007)

Three books that constitute an instructive guide to governance in the United Kingdom. (Politicians & Lies, Frontline, A.G. NOORANI, Nov 08, 2007)

Women in India being treated for infertility with Letrozole could be running the risk of damaging themselves and their babies. Authorisation to market the drug was issued to Sun Pharmaceuticals by the regulatory authority on April 10. (Infertility Drug Cleared Without Proper Tests, Hindu, Sarah Hiddleston, Nov 07, 2007)

Democracy without the liberty to choose the form of participation in public affairs - even if it be a bandh, hartal, dharmaghat or strike by the people - is meaningless. (Not What People Want, Times of India, SHIKHA MUKERJEE, Nov 07, 2007)